Have you given your children antibiotics and if so what for?

[Liveandletlive01]

Out of interest: have you ever given your children antibiotics? What was it that pushed you to that decision? Do you think your child could have gone without them?

My DS1 got to age 7 without needing ABs until he had bad tonsillitis. He's still only had that one course (now aged 8). DS2, though, has had them at least 5 times in his five years - infected viral rash, impetigo, bad ear infections, couple of other things I can't remember. I certainly wouldn't demand them from the GP but then again I probably wouldn't take my children to the GP unless I thought they needed something prescribed. A couple of times - particularly when they were babies - I took each of them to the GP but was told it was a viral infection, no treatment necessary, and that was fine by me. That's what you go to the GP for... When I was a child I had recurring tonsillitis and had loads of courses of antibiotics for that, probably more than would be prescribed now. I should have had the tonsils out really but I did indeed grow out of it in the end, as the doctor had promised. I did have a bad phase a year or two back when I had tonsillitis three times in a year, and each time I was hammering at the doctor's door for antibiotics (and was prescribed them each time, oh the relief). They are a wonder of modern medicine, and I am so glad we have them. I certainly wouldn't abuse them, but equally I will use them when needed.

Yes all of my children have had ABs. A couple of them for chest infections/urine infections. Yes, they might have fought these off by themselves- but they might not. Why leave a urine infection to become a kidney infection? When your child is screaming in agony as they piss red blood you don't 'push' ABs. You get the correct medication .
Other child- ABs as baby for pneumonia. She was struggling to breathe & had there been no ABs at the right time, she would have died overnight.
And later, IV anti-b over a week for something that might have killed her.

But my kids are hardly ever at the doctor. Cough/cold- we treat at home with rest, fluid & calpol. If a doc says- 'it's a virus' I trust them.

What other available treatments would you suggest for a bacterial infection?

I am also very interested in the answer to this.

Dd1(12) and (11) a handful of times for chest infections

Ds (8)....The day after he was born in nicu, then several times for chest infections, pneumonia and utis. Then 2 × 3/4 month courses of daily prophylactic antibiotics because of risk of chest infection/pneumonia. Then a course post teeth removal. Now deciding on whether a course of daily antibiotics would help his gut motility.

Happy they have saved his life, not so happy he has had so many.

I wouldn’t recommend any medical advise to others, I’m not trained in any way. Personally I would use salt for wound care and sore throats caused by bacteria. If it was serious antibiotics of course, where would we be without them?

Have you considered the impact of the use of antibiotics in farming? www.nhs.uk/news/medication/antibiotic-use-in-farm-animals-threatens-human-health/

@bringmelaughter yes it’s horrific isn’t it? Just to make extra money rather than caring for animals in a humane and healthy way

Or countries other than the UK where ABs are available over the counter rather than by prescription?

What other available treatments would you suggest for a bacterial infection?

don't be so obtuse.
in most cases our bodies deal with it the same way we deal with viral infections. we might feel like shit ill for a few days but then we recover.

we might feel like shit ill for a few days but then we recover.

Unless we don’t, of course.

We are lucky to live when we do.

It, along with countries where antibiotic use isn’t well regulated, feels to me a much bigger concern to me than health care professional assessed and prescribed antibiotics. Interesting that you didn’t give a more rounded original post.

I have 2 DC and so far DD1 has had antibiotics twice. DD2 hasn't needed them yet.

With DD1 I think she was prescribed them unnecessarily the first time. She had what the doctor thought was a very bad viral infection when she was only a few months old. It was very hard to get her temp down the doctor said she thought it was viral but she wanted to prescribe them to be on the safe side. She was so poorly so I understand why the doctor may have made that call.

The second time was for scarlet fever so the antibiotics were definitely required that time.

So so many times and they are only 5, 3 and 4 months. I don't go into the details. I usually try not to give them first, and see if symptoms improve. However this massively backfired last time when my son had tonsillitis, I didn't give antibiotics because he appeared to e getting better, but in fact t's infection caused an abscess in the deepest part of his neck. There was no way to operate and he was on 4 different IV antibiotics for 14 days.

I will be much more sympathetic towards giving antibiotics from now on, although definitely would never ask for them directy.

One of the most stupid things I've ever read on here. The vast majority of HCPs will advise watch and wait unless there are clear signs which point to bacterial rather than fungal or viral infection. On some occasions even when a child is spiking a 40+ temperature and with yellow slime pouring out of their ears, there is a chance it could still be viral but once symptoms are extreme, even if bacterial diagnosis is not 100%, a course of abs is still merited. Overuse of ABs is undoubtedly a bad thing terms of the body's clever immune response learning eventually to ignore their effects. The "popping abs like sweeties" rhetoric, however, is not a reflection of modern practice in the UK. And I say this as somebody who believes strongly that the integrity of the gut biome in children and adults (but especially children) is the key to long term good health. Of course, that prospective longevity is not much good if your child ends up dying or severely disabled as a result of an infection which gets into the blood stream and causes irreparable damage because his or her parents had read an article in the daily mail which touched upon a study whose name they can't quite remember. Honestly.

Several people have mentioned children having antibiotics for scarlet fever. The OP has mentioned relying on salt water for "sore throats caused by bacteria". A lot of sore throats are viral, and treating the symptoms while waiting for the body to heal itself is entirey appropriate. And yes, under optimal conditions we can combat bacterial infections ourselves, but a significant proportion will have very serious adverse consequences.

More than 10 years ago my then 3 yr old got symptoms suggestive of a viral infection, then a rash. We (ie me and the GPs who saw her) watched and waited on the assumption her ongoing temperatures were viral. Eventually I cracked - she was getting sicker - and took her to A&E. By that point she was septic, and not only needed IV antibiotics but was placed on preventative daily antibiotics for several years afterwards.

Don't badger your GPs about wanting antibiotics for everything. But do take them seriously when they suggest a child needs antibiotics - it is possible to be too cautious. (Our GP practice discussed what happened to her and concluded there were a few things they would do differently in future. Also scarlet fever has become more common again since then)

My Dd has had a couple of courses of antibiotics, skin infection, impetigo, that sort of thing. Equally however I have taken DD to the doctor and not been given antibiotics because whatever was wrong didn't require them. I know GPs are very busy and overworked but I don't think they are handing out antibiotics willy nilly.

DD2 had 2 days of antibiotics as a newborn - until they could scan her for suspected kidney problems.
Both DDs have had them as well for chest and ear infections and about 5 years ago for conjunctivitis. Always on the advice of a doctor.

One child had them for scarlet fever and what Dr thought was kidney infection but turned out to be diabetes so not actually needed. Other child had them prescribed for infected toe but only had two and suffered a bad reaction so I treated the toe with mag. Sulph and bathed in salt 4 times a day to clear infection. Then 2 liquid types for impetigo when very young. I couldn't get her to take them so decided to try lotion with tea tree oil in it. Cleared the whole lot over night with just one spot left.

Due to sepsis. Not “pushed”, but completely necessary to save his life.

We also need to look at antibiotics in the food chain. We also need to look at schools punishing children for being off ill, and employers punishing staff for being off ill, and the way society seems to expect the “keep on going” martyrdom which means people demand their GPs give them medication rather than wait it out (I’m talking about for colds and flu, not serious infections obviously!). My niece tried to hide norovirus last year because if she didn’t attend school that week her class would have been penalised and not his the required attendance levels and not get to go to the pantomime: fortunately she was young and naive and of course her mum noticed, but she also ended up to “blame” for her class missing out which for a 12 year old girl was mortifying. No wonder parents are demanding antibiotics for tonsillitis when the punishments metered out due to OFSTED/Government/school attitudes are so ridiculous.

(P.s. sorry for the rant, didn’t mean to hijack, I just get so mad by it all and it’s no wonder the GP surgery gets clogged up with time-treated illnesses when the pressure is so much for all ages of people)

Yes. IV antibiotics (and a rather long hospital stay for pneumonia)... No, I didn't feel pushed into accepting them - I felt bloody fucking grateful that D's was receiving life saving treatment

Yes, also for wound care (needed a hell of a lot of stitches after an accident). They were prescribed as a precaution to stop infection. And no, salt water wouldn't have helped, the initial bandage/wound padding needed to stay on for days to ensure the digit reattached as well as possible)... I guess there is a chance that they weren't needed and no infection would have occurred but I wasn't willing to run that risk and chance a massive preventable with antibiotics infection complicating the healing of the wound.

@elyelyoy this is one of the biggest factors I think, not enough emphasis on giving people time to rest - and “quick best get better, got to get back to work”

@pythonesque that sounds frightening, hope your 3 yo made a full recovery.

Tonsillitis of the white blobby kind and chest infections which wouldn't shift. Only a few times in ten years between the pair of them.

Yes mine have on quite a few occasions especially for, ear infections, tooth abcess after and accident, uti when dts1 was 6weeks old and the most live saving course was for dts2 who had cellulitis in his eye, which could havr caused him to go blind.